Tuesday 22 August 2017

Debussy Plays Debussy

The great composer Claude Debussy was born on this day in 1862.
 The other day I heard, on Radio 3, a rather lovely orchestral arrangement of his La Cathédrale Engloutie, a brilliant 'impressionistic' Prelude written for solo piano. How would Debussy himself, a fine pianist, have played the piece? Happily, thanks to the wonders of piano roll technology (a subject I've mentioned before), we have a pretty good idea. Enjoy...




4 comments:

  1. I'm keen on his Clare the Loon, but the connection with insanity isn't easy to figure out; it's a real nice tune though.

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  2. Yes, rather wonderful that Nige. Unable to detect proof of Alfredo Casella's remark that Debussy's playing "gave the impression of playing directly on the strings..the effect was a miracle of poetry"
    Can I add that if your readers are to make jokes at the expense of this undoubted genius, we could suggest that the quality bar be raised a couple of notches?

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  3. Or just lower the tone of the snootiness.

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  4. Come come - all tones welcomed here, high, low and lower!
    I imagine, MM, that with Debussy's playing, as with so much else, you had to be there...

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